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If you have ever dreamed of encountering a whale shark, Santa Maria Island is the place in Portugal where your dreams may come true, with a lot of sun and clear water too. The most southern island of Azores is also one of the smallest and warmest of the archipelago. Like men, islands can’t be measured by their size, and Santa Maria’s secrets are mainly underwater. Around the island there are many caves and tunnels, underwater rock arches always with the presence of the typical Azores species such as groupers, hog-fishes, thalassomas, moray eels, pig fishes and many others. But it is in the blue that Santa Maria will make your diving unforgettable. There are dozens of mountain tops, the “baixas”, where you will get what you paid for. The pelagic are always around: amber-jacks, lilies, barracudas, sardines, tunas, several species of sharks, dolphins, whales, turtles, sting rays, manta rays…just to name a few! If you already want to visit Santa Maria Island, the best diving season is from June to September. The cherry on top of the cake is definitely the Formigas Natural Reserve and Dollabarat, just 20 miles north-east off the island. This Marine Park was created in 1988 and is considered by diving specialists as the best in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the best in the world. Famous for the pelagic species and the big fish schools, here you can also see Black Coral at the lowest depths in Azores. Usually black coral can be found deeper than 25 meters, but in Formigas you can find it as low as 12 meters, surrounded by macro life like shrimps and various juvenile fishes. In 1921 a Greek cargo ship named Olympia rested forever in the water and is visited regularly, also the canyons are very impressive and under some stone blocks you see red sponges filled with anemones of different colours. In Santa Maria Island you can recover from your intense diving in the only golden and soft sand beach of the Azores or walk to huge waterfalls. Only 4 hours from anywhere in Europe, Santa Maria is a bargain. If you would have to pay for every manta ray you see here, you would have to be a very rich person. Thank you, Santa Maria, for everything.

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It is common to say that for every week you stay in Graciosa, you add an extra year to your life. Graciosa is cool and easy and people are gentile, real and human. The island owns itself, is small but powerful in the emotions. Be ready to feel different while staying in Graciosa and to let a teardrop of “Saudade” at the airport when you say goodbye. Diving in Graciosa has also a powerful something attached to it. You will never forget the strong colour contrast between the deep blue ocean and the fresh green of the island, spotted by the hundreds of cows scattered through the land that along with white fluffy clouds, always around, perfect for that Kodak moment. Under water is a different thing. The Island reveals itself to be very unpredictable. From one moment to the other you can see anything. Manta rays, dusty groupers, barracudas, gully jacks, hog fish, sharks and then…nothing again. Just the rocky mountains bellow, full of algae in an endless dance, awaiting for the next rush hour. The most colourful fish around are the parrot fish and the thalassomas, along with many moray eels and different species of gobies that will add some action to your dives. Graciosa is known for its “baixas”, the tops of underwater mountains that reach hundreds of meters under. Those tops can be found between five and fifty or more meters of depth.  If you stay in a “baixa” quietly looking down, you will feel like on a balcony of a very high skyscraper, just waiting for something big to say hi. It is a totally different diving experience for your logbook. The most famous shipwreck is the “Terceirense”, just off the main harbour and very easy to dive in, with an intact propeller and other very interesting details to explore. Further south, the Ilhéu do Carapacho is an amazing place with huge caverns and rocky floors where you can see some sting rays , endemic nudibranches,  spider crabs and even, if you are lucky, hammerhead sharks. Never forget that the Azores are volcanic islands so everywhere you can watch rock formations and canyons perfect to be the home for numerous species or for migrating stops. The temperature of the waters is between 14ºC in the Winter and 24ºC in Summer. Semi-dry suits are perfect for this water temperature. Currents are mild and make good drift dives. Dive centers are fully equipped and trained to make your vacation unforgettable. Graciosa is still a place where you can dive away from stress. And without many people around is actually a very romantic place.

Thank you Graciosa. See you soon.

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Everybody knows Horta harbour for being the most famous port of call in Portugal, and everybody knows that’s where you find Peter’s Sport Café… Here you won’t feel to be as far away from civilization as in other Azores Islands. The most cosmopolitan Azorean city has lots of action both in the island as in the sea. The biggest Portuguese marine Biology University is right here in Horta so, expect to find a lot of young people. You will as well see sailors from all over the world, that stop here to rest or repair the boats, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. In the harbour there are a few diving centres where you will find divers getting ready for their personal adventures under these breathtaking seas. Faial is famous for the underwater volcanic craters and the whale watching where, more than in any other island, non-divers can meet with over 24 species of cetaceous, blue whales, dolphins and anything big you can imagine. If you are lucky enough to have a husband/ wife that doesn’t really understand what you feel when you see things underwater, this is just the place they will, and maybe, just maybe they will become divers soon. Most dive masters are marine biology students at the University and most of the dive operators are very professional and experienced, and this two combined make probably the best diving service you will ever find on a dive trip. They take you to wonderful dive sites to see yellow flower like anemones, with colourful blennies, thalassomas, puffer fishes, blue sharks, turtles, sun fishes, jacks, mackerels and the incredible manta-rays. The underwater landscapes are volcanic all right, there is one particular dive spot near Horta where you can be just in the outside of a crater surrounded by hundreds of fish. Between Faial and Pico there are a few seamounts and as well small islands providing very distinct dives. The best season is May to September. Come with time and some extra money to dive at Princesa Alice Bank and don’t drink the night before, you will have to wake up very early because the boat will leave the harbour at 5 or 6 am. 45 miles of sea into southwest separate you from all the manta-rays and all the pelagic. You can see as well the sneaky Portuguese man at war jellyfish that cross these waters. Don’t be surprised if your best moments are while you’re snorkelling, without bubles manta-rays will come closer. Special safety conditions are required as the currents are very strong. Remember, you are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with more the 1000 meters of water bellow. Speaking about the abyss, here you will watch the light rays plunging to the deep like no place else. This location is perfectly aligned with the pelagic and cetaceous migration route. On the island you can see numerous species of crustaceous, parrot fishes and damsel fishes. If there is one island that could represent the entire Azores Archipelago, Faial would be that one.

Continue reading »]]> The Azores have been considered by various international media as one of the best places to go in the Atlantic Ocean. Large groups of manta rays, lilies, saws or tuna, are common to be observed in the water column during scuba diving. Also frequent are the encounters with large mere. The Azores are undoubtedly one of the best places for diving around the Atlantic. there are  dive sites to suit all  expectations and levels of experience, such as the protected area of Monte da Guia, the lows of the Channel between Faial and Pico, among many others.
Dive into Princesa Alice, a bank at 45 miles (80 km) off land that can bring unforgettable experiences such as observing large groups of manta rays, lilies and other large pelagic fish. However, it is necessary to take every precaution because of possible strong currents. As this site is more demanding in terms of weather, we recommend the months of July, August and September
The exceptional conditions of location of the Azores, both climate and sea currents provide unique conditions for diving, making it possible to observe different species of underwater fauna and flora in the same dive.
One of the advantages of diving in the islands through some of the various agencies that provide it, is that these groups maintain a small footprint. Between one to five people groups are usually admitted, and are seldom accompanied by professionals specialized in marine biology.
The best time for this activity will be between June and November, although it is possible to practice it throughout the year. The clear waters ensure good visibility (on good days can exceed 60 meters), which is associated with mild temperatures make diving an activity not to miss.
For any kind of diving you can find agencies that provide the equipment and the monitoring by qualified personnel in the Azores.
Typically at the coasts off the islands of the triangle (Sao Jorge, Pico and Faial) conditions are particularly exceptional. Here the dive operators virtually guarantee a meeting with some of the most stunning species of the Atlantic. We can also take a closer look by passing some rock formations resulting from past volcanic eruptions.
You can often see shoals of mackerel, barracuda, yellow fin tuna, among others. Amazing is always to face a manta ray, which is not altogether so rare, even with some larger speciemens. Turtles also tend to get notice in these parts. Other smaller species of underwater life such as lobsters, octopus, sea stars, sea urchins, sea spiders and eels are also easy to find.
Less usual, but perhaps even more spectacular is the night diving: the luminescent plankton can assign a unique aura to the seabed. Similarly, some shrimp, anemones and nudibranches create amazing colour variations in the water.
Off the island of Santa Maria there are about 55 dive sites filled with caves, walkways, walls and huge underwater plains. Again, the strong possibility of finding many different species of ocean life in a short-range is high and delights any diver. Some agencies provide certain specific types of diving such as towed dive, dive scooter or blue water dive.
Already about 20 miles off the coast of Santa Maria are two particular spots for divers in better shape: they are the Low Ambrosia (a rise of about 40 meters) and Dollabarat (an underwater lift that comes from hundreds of feet deep to barely four meters under water. In this area you can often see sharks up).
For the less experienced there is still the snorkelling which also provides some unique moments. Read more about Azores Islands…